Tahvi
by Goldenrod
Summary: There are plenty of stories of humans coming to the Bionicle world. But, what about . . . a dog? Rated T for later chapters, just for safety.
1. Little Lost Puppy

Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, but I do own Tahvi.

* * *

Hi, my name's Tahvi. I wasn't always as lucky as I am now, in this lush green place with crystal clear water, lots of space, fresh air, and so much to explore. To this day, I still have no idea how I got here, but I'm glad I did. This place and its people have become for me what every dog wants—home and a family. I remember everything as if it only happened yesterday, though, for a dog, that's probably not that very far from the truth.

Where I originally came from, the buildings reached up to the sky much like the trees here do, except, unlike the trees, the buildings were more imposing than anything. The air stank of car fumes that seemed to hang like a cloud over the city; how I managed to breathe in that, I'll never know. Clean water was just about as hard to come by as food, and every day was a constant struggle to survive, especially for a young puppy all on his own. One day, some humans came looking for us and were yelling and making a fuss; despite us trying not to make too much noise and Mother being careful, they must've somehow discovered where we were. Mother had told my brothers, sisters, and me that though some humans were friendly and wouldn't hurt us, she warned us that some humans, like these, were not at all like that. I panicked and got separated from my mother, brothers, and sisters. After making sure that the humans were gone, I called to her, but she didn't answer. I called again, I barked, I howled, I whimpered and in between I waited for anything—a sound, a scent, a sight—but still nothing, and that's when I realized I was alone. After getting as comfortable as I could, I laid down, tired, lonely, and hungry and ended up crying myself to sleep.

The next morning, when I woke up, at first I thought I was back in our den and got up to go join my siblings in our morning romp—only to find no one was outside. The events from the day before came back to me and, with a lonely sigh, I hung my head and felt my tail and folded ears droop. I had hoped that it was all a bad dream. My growling stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten in a while, and, reluctantly, I left to see what I could find.

Two days had passed, and life wasn't getting much easier. So far, I had managed to find meager scraps of food in garbage, drink funny-tasting water from puddles in potholes, got chased away by five humans, nearly got run over about a dozen times, and managed to keep from becoming a meal myself for some bigger, older, and meaner dogs. On the bright side, some humans were so nice that they gave me some handouts. However, if they came near me, I ran. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure if they were willing to give me some food and spoke gently they must be the nice type of human my Mother told me about, but, after what happened with those other humans back at the lumber yard, I didn't want to take any chances at the time. As I hunkered down for the night, I remember knowing what was waiting for me the next day—another long day of just trying to scrape by.

Next day, the first thing I heard was birds chirping. When I opened my eyes, I was blinded for a second by the sun and had to close them for a bit. It was then I realized something odd—there were no cars roaring by or horns honking. Come to think of it, I never remembered the sun being _that_ bright. When I re-opened my eyes, I saw a color I never saw much of—green. I then saw I was no longer lying in a dinged up cardboard box, but in a little burrow of some kind. Warily, I got to my feet and took a few steps outside and sniffed the air. To my utter amazement, there was not a trace of car fumes anywhere, as if they were never there to begin with. The freshness of the air felt so exhilarating, I acted on an urge to bound around and chase my tail in the small clearing. However, my stomach growled, telling me it was time to find some food. The only problem was this place was so new and strange to me, I didn't have a clue of where to begin; I didn't even want to go far away from my burrow. I gave a little yelp and jumped at the sound of twigs snapping nearby. At first, I thought something was coming, then realized the sound wasn't coming any closer. Curiosity getting the best of me, I went to investigate, but was careful to mark the surrounding plants and ferns with my teeth so I could find my way back to the burrow. When I finally found the source of the commotion, I couldn't believe my eyes.

It kind of looked like a huge dog, but the body shape was wrong and it was made entirely of metal. What kind of creature was this? Then, I noticed it was gorging itself on some berries in a bush. So, that's what made all of that noise. I figured whatever the dog-thing was eating must be edible and decided to try some myself. Although, as I approached the bush, it caught sight of me, growled, and waved its huge paw at me. Apparently, it had no intention of sharing its meal, so I had to wait until it was done. When it finally left, I moved in to sample a berry. As I ground it into swallowable pieces in my mouth I savored its deliciously sweet and juicy taste; this was way better than garbage. Also, it felt like I was getting totally re-energized. Though the huge mechanical dog didn't leave much, I managed to locate a few more berries he missed or couldn't reach with all of the branches. When I was done, it was one of the few times I actually had a full tummy, which always feels good. Then, I left to find some water. I could hear the sound of rushing water, so I guessed that meant there had to be a river around. I followed my ears to find out I was right and took a sip. The water tasted clean, something I rarely experienced, and it was so refreshing. Once I got back to my burrow, my full stomach started making me drowsy, so I decided to take a nap.

Later, I decided it was time for my night meal and I went to see if I could find any more of those berries. When I did, I ate my fill and snapped off a branch to bring back with me so I'd have something for the morning. However, just as I was about to make my way to my burrow, something swooped down and snatched the branch out of my mouth. My eyes followed the retreating form of a strange, chattering creature. It was small, not too much bigger than me, mechanical, and kind of looked like a human, but more animalistic. Without really thinking about it, I growled and gave chase; there were plenty more berries in the bush, so there was really no reason for this thing to just go and steal what I had already claimed. I barked at the human-creature as I ran after it, though it didn't seem to notice. Luckily, I gained my chance to get my berries back. The creature swung on a vine that made it come down close enough for me jump, so I did and snatched my berries back . . . to its surprise. Berries back in my mouth, I ran back for the burrow. I just returned when the human-creature landed behind me, chattering angrily. Thinking fast, I placed the berries in the hole before turning back at him and growling. The human-creature didn't seem to care and came closer—at least until I barked at him. My bark seemed to startle him and I growled some more; if this guy wanted my berries so bad, he was going to have to fight me for them, and I had sharp teeth. Then, just like that, he left and I didn't go into my burrow until I was sure he was gone. Whatever that thing was, I showed him a thing or two.

A week had passed, and I was starting to settle into not only a routine in my new home, but also life on my own. I still missed my family, but I forced myself to understand that, even if I hadn't come here, chances were I would never see my Mother, brothers, or sisters again. Still, I hoped whatever they were doing, wherever they were, they were doing alright and happy. I was starting to get tired of eating nothing but those berries, no matter how tasty they were, and decided I wanted some meat. There, on the edge of the path ahead, was what appeared to be bird. It too appeared mechanical, but I also noticed it had some feathers. If it has feathers, it must have some meat on it, right? To be honest, that was my first actual hunt, but I'd been practicing and I'd seen my Mother do it many times. And so, drawing on my memories of Mother hunting rats and birds, I stalked the bird until I was close enough to strike. Unfortunately, before I could, I accidentally stepped on a twig, making it snap, alerting the bird to my presence. I quickly leapt to try and get it as it flew away, but I missed. However, as if luck would have it, another bird that I didn't notice before launched into the air, but I was quicker and snapped my jaws around its neck. The bird struggled to get free as I pinned it underneath me and worked on increasing my hold on its throat. After what felt like forever, I noticed that my prey wasn't moving anymore; I couldn't even feel it trying to breathe. I let go and it dropped to the ground, dead; I had made my first kill. I proceeded to pickoff as much actual meat as I could. When I was finished, all that was left was the metal that comprised the rest of its body, and I went to the river to get a drink.

* * *

Toa Lewa soared in for a landing by a river. He stowed away his air katana, stretched out his arms, and sat next to a tree; it just felt so good to just sit back and relax after a long sparring session with his brother and sister Toa. He was about to close his eyes when he spotted something in the corner of them. On the other side of the river was a small brown Rahi with black on its eyes, ears, and mouth getting a drink. It reminded him of a young Kavinika, but there was something off about it. Crouching down at the shallower part of the river and extending his hand, he whistled to call it to him.

* * *

Hearing a whistle, I lifted my head to find a green strange-looking mechanical human as the source. I'll admit I was curious about what exactly he wanted, but my shyness won out and, after staring at him for a few moments, I ran back into the cover of the forest.

The next day, I decided to try my paw at fishing, so I made my way to the part of the river where I learned there were a lot of fish. That's where and when I had my accident. My back foot slipped off the edge and I fell in the water. I tried to get back to shore, but I wasn't a very strong swimmer and the current that was carrying me downstream wasn't helping either. Instinctively, I barked for help as I tried to keep my head above the water. Minutes passed and I was already beginning to tire. Just when I was about to give up, something grabbed me by the nape of my neck and pulled me out. Once I was set back down, I coughed a bit and shook myself dry. It was then I got a good look at my rescuer—the green mechanical human from the other day. When he reached down at me, I cowered away from his hand. Then, as if understanding I was nervous, he repositioned his hand so his palm was up. I looked at the hand, up at him, and back at his hand again before I decided to give it a sniff. Liking what I smelled, I licked it and, before I knew it, he was petting me.

* * *

"Nice-friendly little Rahi, aren't you?" said Lewa as he gently patted the puppy's head. The puppy itself started whimpering and licking his hand affectionately and its tail started wagging happily. "Well, little one, I've got to leave-go," said the Toa of Air as he gave the puppy one last scratch on the head. "See you around." Little did he know, however, the puppy had other ideas.

* * *

As he began to leave I realized that I liked this guy, and he seemed to like me. So, I trotted after him.

* * *

Hearing a bark behind him, Lewa looked over his shoulder. It was the little Rahi pup, looking up at him with its big brown eyes and its tail still wagging. The Air Toa went back to walking, and the puppy continued to follow. Lewa grinned as it caught up to him, "What, you want to go with me?" As if in response, the puppy started getting up on its hind legs as it attempted to place its front paws on Lewa's leg. Once the Toa of Air stopped, it placed its front paws against his legs and whimpered and barked imploringly at him. Against his better judgment, Lewa picked up the puppy, looked it in the eye, and said, "Turaga Matau's possibly-probably not going to like this."

* * *

I was experiencing it, seeing it, yet couldn't believe it. I was hundreds of feet in the air, flying, unable to decide whether to be ecstatic or terrified. This all happened after the mechanical man made a bag of some kind with big leaves, placed me in it, and took to the sky. Soon after, we came in for a landing in the trees, where I discovered that this guy lived in a settlement that was built in the treetops. As soon as he let me out of my transport, I peeked over the edge, only to feel a little dizzy from the height. Hearing another voice, I turned to find the man talking with a smaller and older looking one with a stick he used for walking.

* * *

"What, may I question-ask, is that, Toa Lewa?" Turaga Matau asked, curious.

"It track-followed me home," said Lewa, which was partially the truth. "Can I keep it?"

The Turaga of Le-Koro eyed the puppy skeptically, "I don't know, Lewa. We have no clue-idea of how wild it is."

"I don't believe-think it's a wild Rahi-beast, Turaga," said Lewa as he patted the puppy. "It appear-seems too tame to be so."

The puppy then approached the Turaga, sniffed him, and reached up on its hind legs to lick Matau's mask. The Turaga chuckled and scratched its head. "I guess-suppose, but you're going to be responsible for it, Toa Lewa."

Lewa bowed in agreement and reached down to pick up the pup—only to find it gone. "Hey, where'd he go?" Laughter nearby answered the Toa's question. It was Tamaru, kneeling, with the puppy licking his face.

* * *

Puppies can have a short attention span, which is why I went to check out a small green mechanical man that appeared around the corner. He was slightly smaller than the elder. At first, he didn't seem sure of what to make of me, like he'd never seen a dog before. Then, when I nuzzled and licked his hand, he relaxed and knelt down to get a better look at me. I wasn't sure what exactly this thing was, but I liked it.

That night, I joined my new master in his home. Tired as I was from my exciting day, I tried to join him in his bed. However, he wanted me at the foot of the bed instead. After a few more tries, I learned my first human word—no. When he said it in a gentle but firm tone, I realized that he didn't want me where I wanted to be, so I laid down at the foot of his bed. As I began to fall asleep, I remember feeling like I had never felt so lucky; I now had a home, a friend, and a new family.

* * *

A new dawn came to the village of Le-Koro. Toa Lewa slowly opened his eyes to let them get accustomed to the sunlight that streaked into his hut. When his vision cleared he discovered his new pet, which he could've sworn he left at the foot of his cot the night before, was on top of his chest. A moment later, it too opened its eyes and gave a little yawn. Lewa couldn't help but smile, "You're a determined-persistent little thing, aren't you?" The puppy hopped off to let him get up and gave a few quiet barks. "Hungry?" asked the Toa, and he placed some fruit in one small bowl and filled another with water. The puppy pawed the floor eagerly. 'Hope he enjoy-likes this,' Lewa thought to himself as placed the bowls down, he didn't really have a clue what his new pet ate. The puppy sniffed the food, and started eating heartily. When it was done, its lips were stained with fruit juice and it drank some water. The Toa of Air simply smiled.

* * *

As the morning continued, my master showed me around the place. Although, he soon learned it was a task easier said than done. Though I stayed near him for most of time, I still got distracted and wandered off every now and then. When we came near an area where the villagers kept some large birds, I went to say hello, only I ended up spooking the bird and a few others nearby, and some of them had riders. Thankfully, the handlers were able to get the birds calmed down before things got really out of control. When I was spotted to be culprit, I dropped my head and tail to say I was sorry; I didn't mean to cause any trouble, just make some new friends. One mechanical man who had a bluish-green mask smiled and patted my head. The tone he used when he spoke was gentle. Later, I caught sight of another villager carrying a large leaf. Once more, my playful side kicked in and I grabbed the leaf. Both villager and I were caught up in a game of tug-o-war.

* * *

"Let go you little scamp," said the Le-Matoran.

Seeing what was going on, Lewa carefully pried the puppy's mouth loose from the leaf. He firmly, but gently, held the puppy's mouth in his hand and said, "No." Believing that the puppy seemed to understand, he turned back to the villager, "Sorry about that."

"No hurt-harm done, Toa Lewa," the Matoran assured. "I believe-think he just wanted to play."

As the villager went on his way, Lewa looked down at his new pet. Before he could take the little thing anywhere, he was going to have to be trained . . . that was assuming the puppy _could_ be trained.

That night, back in his hut, Lewa and the puppy were getting ready to call it good. This time, Lewa had a little blanket of leaves for his new pet to sleep on. Just as he took a seat on his cot, the Toa of Air realized something and patted the puppy's back. "You know, you're going to require-need a name." Hand to his chin, the Air Toa's mask became an expression of concentration. Then, it lit up with an idea, "How about Tahvi?" The puppy barked and placed its front paws against his leg. "Alright then, Tahvi it is," Lewa smiled as he patted the puppy on the head. With that resolved, and Lewa's plan to begin the puppy's training the next day, the two laid down to sleep.


	2. Snakes and Storms

Over the next few days, in between his duties, my new master, whose name I was beginning to recognize as 'Lewa', worked patiently with me. Whenever he wanted me to sit, he'd say the command for it while gently forcing my rump down with one hand. To get me to lie down, he'd first get me in a sitting position, then pat the ground to get me to come down. 'Drop it' was made possible when he'd put a hand on the top half of my mouth along with saying the command. Each time I did what he wanted, he'd praise me and give me a treat. It was through this treat system that I learned if I did what he said, I'd be rewarded. 'Stay' and 'come' were a little more of a challenge, but were not impossible. To both of our surprise, I turned out to be a fast learner; I was so eager to please Lewa, I was responding to all of his commands within a week. He even taught me how to do some tricks like walking on my hind legs, placing a paw on his fist, and rolling over.

Two more weeks went by and, not only was I fully trained, I was now a good half a foot taller. I now wore a vine as a collar which I sported with pride. On this particular morning, Lewa patted my head as he talked to me. Although, I couldn't understand every word he said, I got the idea through his touch and tone that he was going somewhere for a while and I was to stay behind. Taking out his blades, he got a running start and took to the sky. Still being a puppy, I was curious as to where he was going, so I looked around for a way to get down from the trees since jumping was out of the question. I spotted one of those large barrel-things that I've seen the Matoran use to get up and down from the trees and, after making sure no one was watching, I went inside. Grabbing the lever with my mouth, I pulled it down and, the next thing I knew, I'm on my way down to the ground below at safe rate, although the jerk of the barrel starting to move made me jump a little. Once on the ground, I took off at top speed in the direction Lewa was going; I didn't want to lose sight of him. After a little while, I came upon a ridge where I gazed upon some wide open land. In the distance, I could see a fiery wasteland. Just as I was wondering what in the world could possibly live there, I noticed Lewa was landing in the open field . . . and there were five other beings like him down there as well. Curiosity piqued, I went to see what was happening. When I got down there, I saw that Lewa was fighting a white person his size. I almost bolted out there when I realized how carefully calculated the fight was. They weren't really fighting, they were play-fighting, or practicing. I noticed a brown one sitting closest to the trees. It looked friendly enough, and I loped closer.

* * *

As Toa Pohatu waited patiently for his turn to spar, he heard something in the bushes. Something was coming at him and it had glowing yellow eyes. Before he could grab hold of his climbing claws, it tackled him to the ground. The other Toa, hearing their stone brother's cry of surprise, turned and Lewa and Kopaka halted their match to see what was the matter. What they saw left them speechless, to say the least. The Toa of Stone was laughing as a little kavinika-like Rahi stood on top of him, licking his mask.

"What in the name of the Great Spirit?" Gali wondered aloud as she came closer, only to wind up a victim of a good-natured licking attack herself.

"Tahvi," Lewa spoke, catching the puppy's, and his fellow Toa's, attention, "that's no way to speak-say hello." Tahvi barked as he trotted over to the Air Toa's side. "Sorry about that, brother."

"No matter," Pohatu said as he straightened up.

"I'll take it you know this Rahi, Lewa," Tahu said a bit suspiciously.

Lewa grinned sheepishly, "Brothers, sister, this is Tahvi, my new pet."

The other Toa eyed the young dog, some with interest, others with wariness.

"And, what sort of Rahi is Tahvi, Lewa?" asked Kopaka as he scrutinized the animal with his scope.

The Toa of Air nervously scratched the back of his head. "I'm . . . not totally-exactly sure. He kind-sort of looks like a kavinika, but he's completely organic and a lot nicer." Seeing how Onua was looking at Tahvi, the Air Toa said, "It's alright-ok, brother, he's very friendly," as he stroked the underside of Tahvi's neck to prove it.

The Toa of Earth inched closer and reached out his hand. Tahvi, on his part, wasted no time sniffing and licking it and wagged his tail when Gali came beside him and stroked his back. "Alright, guys, break's lasted long enough," said Tahu. "Let's get back to training." And so, Lewa and Kopaka got back to their match while the others either stood or sat aside, Tahvi next to Gali.

* * *

From that moment on, Lewa and his friends continued with their play-fighting, taking turns against each other. At one point, during a break, the brown one combined his two bladed weapons into a large ball. Curious, I sniffed it and walked around it, trying to figure out how I could possibly pick this up in my mouth. Then, the brown one kicked it out into the field and got some kind of game going with Lewa, the black one, and the red alpha male. I watched, fascinated with the ball until I couldn't take it anymore; I wanted to join in the game, too. When I spotted my chance, I bolted out and used my head to maneuver the ball away from the brown one. Within seconds, Lewa and the others were chasing me all over the place.

* * *

"Lewa, will you please control your pet?" Tahu asked his teammate as he and his brothers chased the puppy to try and get the ball back. Lewa called out to Tahvi to stop, but the puppy didn't seem to hear him. Meanwhile, Gali and Kopaka watched from the sidelines and the Water Toa couldn't help but smile at the fiasco. Finally, the four Toa managed to surround the puppy and leapt in. But, Tahvi moved quickly and butted the ball with his head and just avoided being trapped, thus all four Toa ended up doggy-piling on top of each other instead.

"Did we get him?" asked Tahu.

"Nope," replied Onua. Then, the Toa of Earth, who was at the top, let out a little grunt when something hopped onto his back.

It was Tahvi, balancing on his back and letting out what one might call a few barks of victory. Gali giggled and Kopaka smiled, as did the other Toa, including Tahu.

* * *

That night, Lewa and I lay down to sleep after the eventful day. However, hours later, I suddenly just woke up feeling very uneasy; something somewhere wasn't right. Getting up and careful not to make too much noise so as not to disturb Lewa, I walked out of the hut. Outside, the feeling was still there, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. Then, all of a sudden I heard it and perked up my ears. Though the sound was faint, it was there; a scratching-like noise I didn't like the sound of. Something about it just made the hairs on my back bristle. Quickly turning around, I made sure that Lewa was ok. I then followed my ears to the source of the sound while making sure the villagers were also alright. Finally, I got to where the sound was coming from—Turaga Matau's hut. Peeking in, I saw a sight that made my blood run cold. It was a snake poised to strike the sleeping Turaga. Then, as fast as my blood turned to ice with fear, it was warmed up as if by a raging fire that was borne out of an instinctual need to protect Matau. The hairs on my back stood on end and my lips curled up as I let out a warning growl. Even if it couldn't hear me, if it sensed my presence the snake gave no notice and slithered a little closer. I snarled, muscles tensing and ready to spring.

* * *

Matau woke up to some snarling. 'What in the name of the Great Spirit's going on?' he wondered. Looking over his shoulder, he found Tahvi, teeth bared. "Tahvi, what's--" then gasped when a bog snake revealed itself, hissing. The Rahi lunged to bite the Turaga—only to be stopped short. Like a bolt of lightning, Tahvi leapt at the snake before it could make its mark, his jaws clasped around its lower neck. Before the Rahi could react, the puppy began to violently shake his head, sometimes battering the snake's head against the floor, growling and snarling. It was as if the snake was a rug or a piece of cloth he was trying to shred.

Elsewhere, Kongu and Tamaru woke up to a commotion in the Turaga's hut. It even woke up Toa Lewa. He was about to command Tahvi to stay put when he discovered the puppy wasn't at his sleeping spot. Already fearing what was going on, the Air Toa sprinted to the hut in question. Kongu and Tamaru were already there. Neither Matoran, nor Toa, could believe their eyes. Before them, Tahvi was trying to kill a bog snake.

* * *

The snake tried to fight back and break free, but my grip was too strong. I was shaking it too much for it to bite back. I felt it even desperately try to wrap its tail around my neck as if in hope it could dissuade my attack by choking me, but it did it no good. A few moments later, I realized it wasn't fighting anymore. It just hung limply in my jaws, dead. Seeing Lewa standing in the doorway, I walked up to him and deposited the snake at his feet. While Kongu and Tamaru went to check on the Turaga, Lewa took the snake in one hand and patted my head with the other as he praised, "Good boy." I'd never felt so proud of myself in my life before that; I was still only a puppy, yet I put my life on the line to save another. Of course, I just did what any other loyal dog would've done.

The months passed, and I was now about as big as I was going to get. I was now as tall as the Toas' knees. Aside from the occasional Rahi attack, everything on the island was pretty peaceful. Even though Lewa would let me come with him on his errands, visits to the other villages, or training matches with the other Toa, I still had to stay behind at the village every once in a while. I didn't mind, though; I managed to keep myself busy by spending some time with the Matoran, helping around the village, or keeping Turaga Matau company.

One day, Tamaru and I were playing in the jungle when we both suddenly became aware of a strong breeze that seemed to appear from nowhere. That was when Kongu found us. He told Tamaru something I couldn't understand, but I could tell from his tone and the look on Tamaru's mask that it was serious. Without warning, we all heard thunder that sounded awfully close. I looked to the sky and, not too far off in the distance, I could see a larger-than-large mass of dark storm clouds heading our way. Thanks to the wind that had picked up incredible speed at an alarming rate, before either of us knew it, seemingly in the shake of my tail, the thick blanket of clouds covered the entire sky, blotting out the noonday sun. A flash of lightning, another clap of thunder that hurt my ears, and buckets upon buckets of rain poured down on us.

* * *

"We'd better hurry-back to the village," said Kongu as he tried to shield himself from the windswept rain that felt like insect stings on his body. Tamaru nodded in agreement and called for Tahvi to follow. The two Le-Matoran leaped through the trees while the dog trailed them on the ground. Meanwhile, the flash flood was making the river rise far above its normal banks. Up in the trees, Kongu took a moment to stop on one, which turned out to be a big mistake. The soggy ground could no longer maintain the tree's weight and lurched, causing the Captain of the Gukko Force to lose his balance and almost fall off. He grabbed ahold of the branch, but before he could steady himself enough to jump, the tree fell. Kongu screamed as he was thrown off of the tree before he hit the river with a splash.

"Kongu!" Tamaru cried in horror. Tahvi barked and ran after the Le-Matoran. Tamaru, seeing what the dog was going to do, called out, "Tahvi!", but the dog leaped into the rapids with a big jump.

When Tahvi finally broke the water he searched for Kongu. He spotted him a little further downstream. With a burst of strength that seemingly came from nowhere, Tahvi kicked his legs and swam to catch up to the Le-Matoran. He was almost there, and Kongu just spotted the dog coming, when a swell forced him underwater. Tahvi dove in after him. A second later, Tahvi returned to the surface—with Kongu, arms wrapped around his neck—and he fought against the current to shore. It was slow going, but, somehow, the dog and his rescuee made it. While Tahvi shook himself, Kongu was sputtering and coughing up water, but he was alive. Tamaru ran to him and helped him to his feet. Kongu stood before the dog and petted and praised him. Tahvi simply licked his mask and the three of them made their way to the village, safe and sound, where they waited out the storm.

* * *

A week-and-a-half later, Lewa took me with him to one of the other villages on the island. Ever since that last big storm we had, he'd been checking on his fellow Toa, both to see how they and their villages were doing and, if they were also hit by the storm, if there was anything he could to help. As for Le-Koro, some tree branches wrecked some huts and some bridges were dismantled, but it wasn't anything that couldn't be repaired and, thankfully, no one was hurt. As we flew, I noticed that the air was getting colder. When Lewa landed, he bent down to let me off—and I landed on some white stuff that crunched under my feet. I sniffed at it and when I lifted my head, I saw to my amazement that the white stuff covered every inch of the land. Even the huts that the local Matoran lived in were made of it. I pawed at the stuff, finding it very weird. It felt like cold, wet sand. I started cautiously walking in the what-I-would-later-learn was called snow, high-stepping my paws. I admit I must've looked silly, but I didn't know what to make of it; this was my first time in Ko-Koro. That's when I heard approaching footsteps. It was Toa Kopaka.

* * *

"First time he's seen snow?" asked the Toa of Ice.

"Yeah," Lewa replied.

"What brings you here, brother?"

"Just checking how you're all doing after that last nasty-big storm we had."

"Thanks to our location, we weren't hit very hard. Although, the Matoran could use some help that requires your expertise at the far end of the village."

"Where are you way-going?"

"Patrolling," answered the Ice Toa, and he took his leave.

The Toa of Air simply grinned as he shook his head; he knew his brother Toa well and that he was simply going out to be by himself. "Sorry, Tahvi, fun-playtime's going to have to patient-wait for a while." The dog gave a slight whimper, but otherwise didn't protest.


	3. Family and Home

While Lewa was busy doing whatever he was doing, I took the opportunity to look around. The silence of this place was so unlike the chatter and activity I'm used to in Le-Koro. After trying to get some of the Matoran to play, without success, I resigned myself to lying down out of the way and waiting for Lewa to get done.

I've never felt so bored in my life. I was lying around with nothing to do for minutes on end; it was beginning to drive me crazy. I was about to doze off when my sixth sense kicked in like it did that night with the snake. I got up and walked toward the gateway that led out of the village. When I reached it, I paused, unsure of what to do; Lewa told me not to wander out of a village on my own, or at least not too far, but, still, I could sense that something was wrong—really wrong. And so, steeling myself, I trotted out onto the snowy plain.

For a while, I tried to follow Kopaka's footprints, or rather what was left of them. When they disappeared, I resorted to Plan B: my nose. Luckily, Kopaka's scent was still relatively fresh and I trailed it. However, for some reason, the farther I followed the scent, the more nervous I got; something somewhere was going on, and I didn't like it one bit. Suddenly, a roar echoed up ahead, making me jump with a yelp. Hearing what sounded like a struggle, I ran. Coming around a bend, I saw a sight that caught my breath—Kopaka fighting some kind of giant mechanical cat-thing with huge claws and canine teeth that grew so long they were like knives. I never knew such cats existed. The only ones I knew about were the ones I chased back in the city. Farther down the path, I spotted Kopaka's blade weapon. The cat, though, was not giving him a chance to get at it, nor use his ice powers on it, leaving his only chance at survival with dodging and using his shield. Unfortunately, I could tell that Kopaka was tiring. He was panting hard, indicating that he'd been fighting this thing for a while. The cat, however, looked like it had barely broken a sweat. The cat broke through the Toa's tired defenses and, with a mighty swipe from its paw, sent him to the ground. I gasped. Kopaka had lost hold of his shield and he needed help. A split second later, I felt the same fire I felt that night, the drive to protect, and I leaped in.

* * *

As his eyes began to clear from the blow, Toa Kopaka saw the Muaka advancing toward him. He glanced at his shield which lay on the ground near him. He calculated that the Rahi would be on top of him before his fingers touched it, but he had to try; it was his only chance. Before he could move, though, a brown streak jumped over him and planted itself between him and the Rahi—it was Tahvi. "No, Tahvi!" said the Ice Toa, fearful for the dog. But, Tahvi didn't heed him.

* * *

The beast snarled and roared at me, probably trying to scare me away. But, I snarled and barked back, baring my teeth. Kopaka was in danger and I was not backing down. The cat tried to swipe at me and I dodged. After some more growling and barking, I saw my opening and snapped at its nose. Though the wound was minor, it stung enough to make the big cat take a step back. Although, his reaction was so fast, I didn't have time to dodge his paw and I yelped when it hit. Though the swipe wasn't that powerful, just enough to knock me out of the way, it still hurt. However, I was back on my feet in an instant and saw that the cat was advancing on Kopaka again. Then, I got an idea. Maybe instead of fighting this guy, I could lead him away from Kopaka, thus giving him the opportunity he needs to get his weapons and let him take care of it. Moving fast, I bit the cat's rear leg. Because it was metal, there wasn't much my teeth could do against it, but I managed to get its attention. It lunged at me, but I was already gone. I ran a little bit, then turned around and barked at the cat, daring it to follow me. The cat stood there glaring at me for a while, then turned its attention back at Kopaka. Seeing that leading it away was not going to work, I ran, jumped onto its back, and did what I could to bite its neck. Even if I couldn't do any real damage, I did succeed in regaining its attention. When it started to buck, I leaped off and placed myself between it and Kopaka. I could hear the Toa telling me to run as I barked, to get of there, but I was not going to abandon him to this thing. As far as I was, and still am, concerned, any dog who abandons his family, friends, or master doesn't deserve to call himself a dog. Dogs stay together and look out for their pack—even it's one of humans, organic or mechanical. After some more barking, I leaped at the cat's throat, but it caught me with its paw and slammed me into the ground. I yelped and saw the paw coming down on me, but I managed to slip out of the way just in time. I bit into the ankle joint of the leg, which must've hurt bad because the cat then roared in pain and lifted me into the air as I held on. Although, at the height of the swing, I lost my grip. But, I landed back onto its back and I went for another weak spot—the face.

* * *

Toa Kopaka just couldn't believe what he was seeing. Tahvi was now on top of the Muaka, which was getting more dangerously agitated by the minute, and was vigorously attacking its head like it was a chew toy. He honestly didn't know whether to think his brother Toa's strange pet brave or foolish; there was no logical way Tahvi could fight, let alone beat, a Rahi of such strength. Lewa had told him and the other Toa of how the dog fought and killed a bog snake that threatened Turaga Matau when he was still young, but he never thought that he would go all out like this to protect someone who barely gave him a second glance.

* * *

I hacked at the cat's face with my teeth, mainly going for the eyes and ears, while somehow managing to stay on as it struggled to get me off. It roared in pain again when I ripped its right ear off. As I continued my attack, I started to hope that this would be enough to persuade it to leave us alone. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Thinking back on it, it was probably not a very good idea to either rip its ear off or hold onto its face when it started swinging its head wildly, especially considering the cat was twice my size. For one thing, when it lost its ear, it got really mad, and for another, when I hung onto its head, it used its paw to dislodge me, raking my shoulder with its claws in the process. I yelped from the pain and fell to the ground, but the cat wasn't done yet. It swiped at me with its other paw. I yelped to the heavens above as I tumbled through the snow a few feet, which was now stained red with my blood from the wounds on my shoulder and upper-side. As I agonizingly tried to get back up, I lifted my head in time to see the cats wide open mouth bearing down on me. I couldn't help but cry out as its teeth grabbed hold of me by the neck. Now in its grasp, it shook me a bit before throwing me against a wall of ice. I was barely conscious and in unbearable pain when I hit the snow.

* * *

Toa Kopaka had seen enough. If he didn't do something fast, the dog was going to be killed. With the Muaka's attention now focused solely on Tahvi, the Toa of Ice sprinted towards his blade. By the time the Rahi realized what he was up to, it was too late to stop him. Kopaka, with weapon in hand, fired a bolt of ice at the beast. The Muaka managed to dodge and charged at the Toa. Kopaka stood his ground, waiting for the last possible moment. Then, when it was time, he lunged with his blade. The Rahi reared back with a roar, a non-fatal, but deep, cut now on its shoulder. Both Toa and beast eyed each other for a tense moment, then, finally, the Rahi resigned to leave and galloped out of sight. Kopaka tracked the Muaka's movement until a whine caught his ears. Snapping his head back to the ice wall, his eyes widened in concern and he felt like his heart nearly jumped into his throat. Tahvi, whining and yelping in obvious pain and bleeding, was, amazingly, trying to get up. On his second attempt, he managed to drag himself a foot before collapsing. The Ice Toa ran to the dog's side, stowing away his weapon. "Don't move," he commanded as he placed a hand on Tahvi's shoulders, careful not to aggravate the wound on the dog's right shoulder blade. At first, the dog tried to get up again, but, when the Toa gave the order to stay down, he relented his efforts. Kopaka was no Rahi healer, but he didn't need his scope to see that Tahvi's injuries were serious. The dog's whining seemed to increase a bit in volume, catching the Toa's attention. Tahvi's brown eyes looked up at him imploringly, begging for him to help him. Kopaka patted the dog's head, the fight replaying in his mind's eye; Tahvi was hurt because he was trying to protect him. Stepping over to the dog's left side, Kopaka crouched down and tried as carefully as possible to slide his arms underneath him. Tahvi still gave a little yelp as he was lifted. "Easy, boy," the Toa of Ice said in a soft, calm tone, and he made his way back to the village.

Back at Ko-Koro, Lewa was searching for Tahvi. "The last time I saw him, he was at the gate," answered a Ko-Matoran he asked. "When I look there again, he's gone." Lewa thanked the Matoran and went in the direction of the gate, hoping Tahvi didn't wander off. However, Kopaka was there—carrying a bloody and battered Tahvi in his arms. The Toa of Air gasped, fearing the worst, and ran to meet his brother. "What happened?" he asked quietly. "Muaka," Kopaka answered. "He protected me." Already, Tahvi's plight had gathered a little audience of Ko-Koro residents, including Turaga Nuju and Matoro. Everyone feared the dog was dead, considering how limp he looked in the Ice Toa's arms, until Lewa absently placed a hand on his back. Tahvi, in spite of the pain he was in, let out a little whimper and weakly wagged his tail; he knew his master's touch, thus didn't need his eyes to be open. "Bring him to my hut," Matoro stepped up, and the Toa followed. Once there, the Matoran cleared away an area on the floor where Kopaka placed the dog, and Matoro got right to work administering the wounds. Even though Matoro was a hunter/tracker, he did know a few things about injuries on animals and, therefore, decided to see what he could do. Suddenly, Nuju started clicking and whistling, making a worried Lewa nearly jump out of his armor. Matoro translated without even looking up, "The Turaga says you might want to clean that off, Toa Kopaka. There are some extra rags and water in the back." The Toa of Ice looked down at himself and noticed a red patch of blood on his left arm, probably from the wound on Tahvi's neck. Without a word, he went to the back to wash it off.

After several minutes, and a little help from the Toa and Turaga, Matoro was able to get the bleeding to stop and Tahvi was still alive, though barely. However, as he wiped off his hands, the translator's expression was grim. "We need someone who's had more experience in healing animals," he said before turning to Lewa. "Toa Lewa, we need the Ga-Matoran Rahi healer, Kotu. If there's anybody on this island that can help him, it's her." The Air Toa nodded, ran out of the hut, and took off in the direction of the Village of Water, leaving the Ko-Matoran hoping it wasn't already too late.

A little later, Toa Lewa was back with Kotu riding on him. As soon as he landed in front of Matoro's hut, she hopped off. Matoro was standing in the doorway. "Where is he?" asked the Ga-Matoran. "In here," said the Ko-Matoran as he sidestepped to let her in. Kotu knelt beside the unconscious dog as she slipped off her pack. Then, as if all of a sudden, she became aware that the hut seemed a little crowded. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask that you all, except Matoro, step outside. We're going to need more room." Lewa wanted to protest, but felt a cold hand on his shoulder. It was Kopaka, silently telling him that he now needed to let the healers do their work. And so, reluctantly, the Air Toa stayed outside.

The next few days were torture for Lewa. Every chance he got, he'd either stay at the Village of Ice or come by to check on Tahvi. Though the dog's condition was now stabilized, he didn't seem to be getting any better or stronger. He just lay where Kopaka put him, not moving. The only thing that gave both Matoran and Toa the relief that he was alive was the up and down motion of his side as he breathed. There was also the matter for Matoro and Kotu trying to find a way to replenish the blood he lost from his fight with the Muaka. One time, Gali came to see how the dog was doing, only to find Lewa at Tahvi's side. She could understand what was going through her brother Toa's mind. With bandages covering about half of his body and just lying there, Tahvi looked so frail, so fragile, so weak; how could he survive? Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, she said, "He'll be ok. He's a tough Rahi." The Toa of Air didn't turn to face her, but he gently grasped her hand.

Two weeks passed, and Lewa found himself flying toward Ko-Koro, feeling rather eager to see how Tahvi was doing. The dog had started to show some small, but promising, signs of progress. He'd wake up every now and then, wag his tail at someone's approach, and was almost strong enough to lift his head. However, over the last five days, the Toa of Air had been busy with things in his home village that needed to be taken care of. Naturally, many of the Le-Matoran were also feeling anxious about the dog's status; they'd received word of what happened from a Ko-Matoran messenger. 'Finally,' Lewa thought to himself when the ice village came into view, 'I thought I'd not-never get here.' He lithely landed and made immediately for Matoro's hut—only to find the spot empty. Almost instantly, the Air Toa felt like he just got stabbed in the heart. Did something happen and Tahvi's recovery just went downhill? "Lewa?" a voice inquired. Lewa turned around to find Kopaka coming toward him. "Brother, where's Tahvi?" he asked, trying hard to hide the panic in his voice. "Did he--" The Toa of Ice merely gestured with his thumb. As Lewa turned his head to look where Kopaka was pointing, he thought he heard barking, and, the next thing he knew, a brown shape enthusiastically jumped into his arms. Caught off balance, he fell to the ground and the thing started licking his mask. The Toa of Air laughed as the tongue tickled his face, he didn't need to see what—or rather _who_—it was. Tahvi's tail wagged so hard, happy to see his master, that his whole body was shaking. During all of this, Kopaka stood to the side, watching with a smile.

* * *

I couldn't stop licking Lewa's face and wagging my tail. I don't think I could've stopped even if I wanted to. I hadn't sensed Lewa's presence in days, so it was natural for me to be so excited to see him again. On top of that, I was feeling better than I had in a while.

* * *

Somehow, Lewa managed to get himself into a sitting position. "Tahvi! You're all well-better!" he said as he stroked the dog's neck. "Thanks to Toa Gali," said Matoro's voice. Seeing the Toa of Air's confused expression, Kotu explained that, in hope that it would do something for Tahvi's blood supply, Gali used her healing abilities on the dog. "Gali didn't use it at full power, because we weren't sure if it would really help him," said the Ga-Matoran. "So, he was still a little weak afterward, but Matoro and I were able to take care of the rest." "I can't thank you two enough," said the Air Toa. "Not necessary," said Matoro modestly, "he did quite possibly save our Toa, after all." "Well, now that we're all finished-done here, you two prepared-ready to go home?" Lewa asked Kotu and Tahvi. The dog barked in response while the Ga-Matoran nodded and slipped on her back pack. The two had just hopped onto the Toa's back when Kopaka halted the trio. The Ice Toa walked up to Tahvi and patted his head, giving his ears a nice scratch in the process. As the dog simply enjoyed the caress, Lewa looked at his brother Toa, not sure of what to make of what he was seeing. Kopaka never really touched Tahvi that much. Seeing Lewa watching him, the Toa of Ice simply winked with his scope eye. When Kopaka was finished, the Toa of Air took off in the direction of Ga-Koro, intending to drop-off Kotu before he and Tahvi headed home.

* * *

Needless to say, when Lewa and I got back to Le-Koro, the entire village came to welcome me back. I barked happily as Matoran surrounded and patted me. There was even a big celebration that very night. However, it seemed like all too soon it was time to head in for the night. As I followed Lewa to our hut, without thinking about it, I stopped as a strange feeling came over me. Being back in the village and seeing how happy Lewa, Matau, and the villagers were to see me after being gone from my fight with that cat-thing, it made me realize something. Not only did I have a family, but, for the first time in my life I was home—not just a place where I lodged temporarily, but a place where I could stay, had people that truly cared about me and made me want to stay, and felt I belonged. Reaching the door and noticing that I wasn't following anymore, Lewa called for me to come inside. I barked as I trotted in.

A few days afterwards, Lewa was due for another meeting with the other Toa, whom I got to see and get pets from. Pohatu gave me a kohlii ball as a 'Welcome Back' present; therefore, while the other Toa waited for their turns to spar, we'd play fetch with my new toy. During their break, we got a game of kohlii going—and my team won.

It's been about a month since then, and almost a year since I arrived here, so I'm now pretty much a grown dog. I feel like I've come a long way in such short amount of time. I also feel like one of the luckiest dogs alive to have found this place, this island, this paradise. Lewa's calling for me. It's time to head home.


End file.
